Summary of Research Project:

Role of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor in Neonatal Pulmonary Hypertension

Newborn infants can develop pulmonary hypertension at birth due to many conditions, including pneumonia, infection, birth defects such as underdeveloped lungs, and congenital heart defects. Pulmonary hypertension at birth (or Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn, PPHN) usually improves over time, but infants can be critically ill during that time. In babies with PPHN, certain proteins found in the lung that guide blood vessel formation and function may not be produced normally. We are studying these proteins (VEGF, HIFs), and trying to determine whether treating the lung with these proteins at birth could improve the severity of pulmonary hypertension and reduce mortality rates in these infants. Inhaled nitric oxide (NO) has been a very useful therapy for this condition, but not all babies respond to NO, so it is critically important that we continue to look for new treatments for this disease.

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